InTheSnow Issue 24 - February 2012

ISSUE 24 |FEB 2012

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THE Funniest Week In The Alps Ever?

Patrick Thorne

The Altitude Comedy Festival returns for its 5th year this spring, but it’s moving up a notch, with the number of A-list comedians the organisers have persuaded to hit the snow of Mayrhofen in Austria, reaching unprecedented levels of talent.

Jimmy Carr and Frankie Boyle are among the long list of headliners, which also includes everyone’s favourite pub landlord Al Murray, veteran observational stand-up Ed Byrne, Scottish ”man-of-the-people” Kevin Bridges, Aussie musical minstrel Tim Minchin, king of the one-liner Milton Jones, Canadian charmer Craig Campbell, moustachioed storyteller Rufus Hound, Radio 4 satirist Marcus Brigstocke, impressionist and occasional beatboxer Terry Alderton, 21st century slacker Carl Donnelly, and ”Ireland’s 7th biggest hip hop crew” Abandoman, as well as irrepressible showmen The Cuban Brothers.

“It is not often you get to see an O2 arenafilling act in a 100-capacity bar, so this was the kind of thing that made the festival special” was the summary of Bruce Dessau, writing for the London Evening Standard after attending last year’s festival.

Comedian Andrew Maxwell curates Altitude, which began in Méribel but moved to Mayrhofen, one of Austria’s top resorts, last year.

“Getting to snowboard all day and enjoy my comedian mates on stage and back-stage all night is like a week long, snowy, fantasy island for me” says Maxwell.

One of the final additions to the now complete line-up was Michael Winslow, whose jaw-dropping aural trickery became world-

Publisher

Dominic Killinger

famous when he starred in the Police Academy films.

“I can't believe we are announcing someone from Police Academy. Police Academy! Michael Winslow is the godfather of beatboxing and he's one of the best performers the world has ever seen. I saw him this year at the Edinburgh Fringe and he was beyond totally amazing and blew my mind! I'm so happy he's at Altitude” added Maxwell.

Also making the trip to Austria’s picturesque Zillertal region is star of Never Mind The Buzzcocks, Phill Jupitus, plus there will be

Altitude Comedy Festival Mayrhofen, Austria 26–31 March 2012

www.altitudefestival.com Twitter: @AltitudeComedy Facebook: altitudecomedyfestival A-Z of stars: Abandonman, Terry Alderton, Frankie Boyle, Kevin Bridges, Marcus Brigstocke, Ed Byrne , Jimmy Carr, Craig Campbell, The Cuban Brothers, Rufus Hound, Pete Johansson, Milton Jones, Phill Jupitus, Andrew Maxwell, Tim Minchin, Al Murray, Phil Nichol, Tiffany Stevenson, Ian Stone, Andre Vincent, and Michael Winslow.

sets from Brendon Burns who scooped the Edinburgh Comedy Award in 2007, and another Edinburgh Comedy Award winner, Phil Nichol, Edinburgh Comedy Award nominee Pete Johansson, star of Show Me The Funny, Tiffany Stevenson, and Mock The Week panellist and co-presenter of The Tuesday Club podcast, Ian Stone.

The festival tries to cater for everyone’s tastes, and along with fun on the snow in

Reporters / Contributors

Tuition Correspondent

PATRICK THORNE

duncan woRRell DEBBIE GABRIEL SALLY BROOKES DAVID BLACK

JON WEST

patrick@InTheSnow.com

Production Director

Design By

matt@InTheSnow.com

whole week for £158 via www.ticketline. co.uk/altitude-festival, or for each night for either £44 (Tuesday–Thursday) or £55 (gala performances on Monday and Friday) – the full line-up is now available online. An early bird discount is available to those travelling by coach and staying at a 2 hotel, with prices starting at £289pp, including wristband access to all shows – this discount was available at the time of going to press.

Editor

dom@InTheSnow.com

MATT NICHOLSON

the daytime and evening gigs, there are kids shows and crèche facilities during the day and evening, an empty 15th-century spa to enjoy, secret backcountry bashes and an igloo party.

The amazing Comedy Club 4 Kids starring Tiernan Douieb, Benny Boot, Eric Lampaert and Matt Reed will be on every afternoon from Monday to Friday.

You can attend Altitude on a fully-inclusive package (including travel, gig tickets and a wide range of accommodation) by booking through the website, or if you’re already in Mayrhofen you can buy wristbands for the

ROCKET BASE

www.rocketbase.co.uk News Correspondent

BEN CLATWORTHY

Boot room supplied by

elliS BRIGHAM

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It’s hard to know if the editors who told us the shocking tale that thousands of British skiers were stranded in the Alps last month, due to the huge snowfalls, were touched by the irony that a month earlier they had been reporting imminent disaster due to “no snow in the Alps.” Resorts affected included Ischgl, Galtur, Lech, St Anton, Zermatt, St Moritz and Val d’Isère at different times.

In any case, the majority of trapped skiers and boarders at resorts cut off, in some instances, by some of the deepest powder snow in decades, didn’t seem overly concerned at being unable to return to the outside world and back to their jobs, while the resorts themselves were fully stocked to cater to the holidaymakers needs.

It was certainly more miserable for those who wanted to get in but were shut out.

Just how epic the January snowfalls in the Alps were (the greatest of which had left a 5.5m base above St Anton as we went to press) remains the subject of après-ski bar debate, and, indeed, something of a bidding war between resorts.

Les Gets in the French Alps opened with a claim that it was the most January snow there had been in 22 years, but that was trumped by several resorts in the Austrian Tirol, which said they had not seen so much snow in January for 30 years.

However, another Austrian resort, Nauders, has come top so far by saying it’s the most January snow they’ve recorded since 1952 – 60 years ago!

Whatever the claims, and the short-term travel hassles that resulted, the best thing about it for all of us is this amount of snow should let the winter 2011–12 season last well into spring at those resorts that want to stay open, and tour operators are reporting booming sales, all of which means that despite the ongoing economic gloom in Blighty, this could be the season when skier numbers return to growth after 3 years of post-crash decline.

Good news indeed.

jon.west@altitude-verbier.com Photography See individual images for specific credits. Any uncredited images supplied by third party suppliers, agencies and/or advertisers

© Copyright 2012 No part of this publication may be copied, photocopied or reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in anyway or means, either by recording or otherwise, without permission of the publishers in writing.

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CREDIT: O.T TIGNES

BEN CLATWORTHY

CREDIT: Daniel Martinek

Ski Hotel Wins Awards For Making More Energy Than It Uses

TIGNES The 1960s ski resort is getting a well-needed facelift. Building work has started to renovate the old village of Les Boisses and link it to Tignes 1800, a new ski station. The first phase of the new build is due to open in late 2012 (in time for the winter 2012–13 season), with a further section opening in 2013. Last season, in preparation, a new 18-person gondola was installed, replacing the antiquated double chair that had previously served the slopes in that area.

PATRICK THORNE

A hotel on the ski slopes close to St Moritz has won an award for producing more energy than it uses.

The Romantik Hotel Muottas Muragl, up on the ski slopes of the Engadin, has recently been awarded the Swiss Solar Award 2011 and the PlusEnergieBau

A new high-speed four-person chairlift has replaced the old Rose Bowl triple chairlift in the resort.

The lift opened in time for the 2011–12 season, and reports say the extra capacity and speed has reduced queues in the area.

SELVA

buildings as well as new.

Besides constructing the building according to the principles and requirements of the Swiss "Minergie" ecological label, this project went several steps further.

Although the surface area of the building was extended from 1700m2 to 2700m2, a 50% increase in size, it was possible to reduce the en-

CREDIT: Jo Simoes

BEAVER CREEK

(PEB) Solar Award 2011. The latter is the only prize in the world for buildings that generate more energy than they need themselves.

The 104-year-old hotel was fully renovated in 2010, with a particular focus on environmental-friendliness, aiming to create the first ”plusenergy” hotel in the Alps, and proving that this can be done in old

Enhanced Snow Reporting

A new high-speed quad has replaced the Sasso Lavante threeperson chairlift at Passo Sella for the 2011–12 season. The new lift is the second phase of upgrades in the resort. Last season, a new funicular replaced the old Rasciesa one-person chairlift.

MÉRIBEL Plattieres 1 and 2 is being replaced by a new gondola for the 2012–13 season. This new lift will cut the journey time from 25 minutes to 9 minutes, and the new cabins will replace the old six-seat, back-to-back gondolas, with more comfortable eight-seat cabins. Construction began at the end of the 2011 season, and the old lift will continue to run through the 2012 season.

ergy consumption by 64%, from 436,000kWh/a to 157,400kWh/a.

This was achieved by insulating the building in line with the latest standards, and by generating renewable energy from five different sources.

Hot water is obtained by means of solar energy, produced by the 60m2 of pipe solar collectors installed in the glass windowpanes in the basement.

Sixteen thermal loops with an average length of 200m, making 3200m in total, supply the entire building with geothermal energy.

In addition, all the necessary electricity is generated by the most efficient photovoltaic system in Switzerland, extending 228m along the railway line. Any excess solar energy is stored in the ground via the thermal loops, thus regenerating the geothermal mass.

The recovery of the waste heat from the cooling units, exhaust air, and the machine room, are further measures to transform the new building into a sustainable and environmentally-friendly enterprise that, taken over the entire year, even produces more energy than it actually needs.

The hotel’s requirements before the renovations, of approximately 40,000L of heating oil and 36,600kWh/a of electricity, are now entirely covered by solar energy.

Brit Band To Rock French Pistes British group Archive has been confirmed as one of the acts for this year’s Rock The Pistes Festival, which brings together seven French and international musicians for 5 days of gigs on the ski slopes. The concerts are free for all skiers and snowboarders in the 12 Franco-Swiss resorts of the Portes du Soleil.

Archive, who has been playing together since 1994 and who has released eight albums, will be

on the outdoor stage at Avoriaz on Wednesday 28 March at 1.30pm. The band has an electro rock and trip-hop sound, and their song You Make Me Feel was used in a Levi’s advert.

The festival, which launched last year as the Festival des Concerts Sauvages (Wild Music Festival), runs from the 24–28 March, and this year has been promised to be “more international, more fun and more rock!”

The Ski Club of Great Britain’s web pages – of which snow and weather is the most popular – have undergone major development over the past few months and have improved functionality.

It’s now possible to compare snow data between resorts with a new comparison tool, and you can see which resorts have had the most snow over the past 18 seasons with the Club’s historical snow reports, via www.skiclub.co.uk/snowreports.

There’s also a new homepage for the weather section, which makes it much easier to look at individual resort weather forecasts. Detailed forecasts for each resort are now featured horizontally across the page, and all on one page, as requested by Ski Club members.

“The snow reports and overview provide an idea of conditions around the mountains, but there’s no substitute for seeing what a resort looks like.

That’s why the webcam pages have also been updated to make them easier to use and better to look at” said spokesperson, Vicky Norman.

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DJ Yoda To Headline The BRITS 2012 BEN CLATWORTHY

The BRITS music and snow sports festival in Laax, Switzerland, this March has announced its musical line-up for the week from Monday 19 to Saturday 24 March.

First seen at the BRITS in 2004, worldrenowned scratch legend DJ Yoda is set to return to headline the festival, with what the organisers promise will be an incredible live AV set on the Friday night (23 March).

“Expect to hear the Indiana Jones theme mixed with woofer-worrying Dubstep or The Muppets theme cut with MIA when Yoda descends on Laax with a brand new live AV show to blow your thermal socks off!” said a statement from the BRITS organisers.

DJ Yoda is known for his mind-blowing turntable skills that fuse funk, reggae, drum‘n’bass, and even big-band swing and country and western, and has been credited as “one of the ten DJs to see before you die”

by Q magazine.

Also on the 2012 line-up are BRITS regulars and scratch residents Matt Smooth and DJ Lyley, who will be joined by UK hip-hop heavyweights Yungun and Mr Thing for a night of grimy beats and rhymes.

There’ll also be a live AV set from Bristolbased turntable genius DJ Cheeba, and organisers say they still intend to provide a night of epic live action too, which will include a banging live band (to be announced shortly!).

Controversial Plans To Link Czech Republic and Austria A plan to link the Czech Republic by a new funicular railway to the Austrian ski area of Hochficht has angered environmental groups.

The project was given the go-ahead by the Czech Republic’s Environment Minister last week, as part of a new draft zoning law for the country’s UNESCO-recognised Šumava National Park, going against the findings of an environmental-impact assessment that said a ski lift was a bad idea.

The new lift and runs at Hraničník would have a 3km-wide operating area, which the minister feels will involve minimal disruption to the park as a whole.

Local media reports 70,000 Czechs visit Hochficht each year, and that the country’s President, Václav Klaus, who is said to be a keen skier, wants to be the first on the new lift.

Go Skiing And Help A Charity Skiers can help their favourite good cause when they book online through www.easyfundraising.org.uk/travel – an innovative charity shopping website, which gives an average 5% of each sale to charity. Ski and snowboard rental specialists Skimium is offering 10% off all reservations online before 13 May, using code SKIWEB11 at the checkout. This simple online shopping facility helps consumers to support a cause of their choice at no extra cost to them, by giving cashback to their chosen charity.

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Explorer Reaches South Pole, Next Stop, North Pole

BEN CLATWORTHY

A polar explorer, who is seeking to highlight the issue of climate change, has reached the first of the two poles he intends to ski to solo.

Mark Wood (www.markwoodexplorer.com/ blog), a former firefighter from Coventry, took exactly 50 days to ski 612 nautical miles to the South Pole. He wants to become the first person to solo ski South and North Poles consecutively, which Sir Ranulph Fiennes termed the “toughest journey on the planet”.

“I am now standing at the Geographic South Pole and I feel good” said Wood. “I’d like to say I feel like I’m on top of the world, but I’m actually at the bottom of the world! To be here is just incredible, absolutely amazing even though I

know I’m only half way through the expedition.”

Reaching the South Pole exactly 50 days after he set off, Wood hasn’t seen a soul since 21 November 2011 (other than a brief surprise encounter with a group of Norwegian kite surfers!).

Over 100 people have sponsored Mark via www.thedonation.org.uk by doing simple actions whilst he's on ice, like stopping the use of plastic bags, eating less meat, or making draft excluders. Together, they've saved over 21 tonnes of CO2.

From the South Pole Wood will return to Punta Arenas, Chile, from there he will fly up to the Arctic Circle to prepare for the next leg of his journey to the North Pole, where under the veil of complete darkness he will attempt the second leg of his epic journey.

New Hotel Gives Walk-In Access To St Moritz Ski Lift Station The brand new resort Nira Alpina hotel (www. niraalpina.com) has opened its doors in the eastern Swiss region of Graubünden. Located above Lake Silvaplana, a short 10-minute drive from St Moritz, the resort is linked via the Corvatsch cable car to the highest ski lifts in the region, shared with St Moritz, providing access to the most challenging ski runs.

Architecturally inspired, the property unobtrusively clings to the mountainside as each floor steps up to the next. This design ensures that every room features a vast sundrenched balcony or terrace, floor-to-ceiling panoramic windows, and breathtaking views of the crystal clear turquoise water of Lake Silvaplana, surrounded on all sides by the majestic peaks of the Engadine mountains.

Bedrooms are graced with the finest Swiss

linen, Egyptian cotton bathrobes, and luxurious granite bathrooms with oversized baths and waterfall showers. A state-of-the-art spa is at guests’ disposal, along with a selection of restaurants offering both traditional Swiss fare and world cuisine.

Dizzee Steps Into Snoop’s Shoes TRACKER HELMET | DANA GOGGLE | FIX GOGGLE JADE HELMET | SOFT FLEX CRX BACK PROTECTOR X-ACTIVE BACK PROTECTOR | ANTI HELMET

scott-sports.com © SCOTT SPORTS SA 2011 © SCOTT SPORTS SA 2011

Dizzee Rascal is to headline the Snowbombing Festival (www.snowbombing.com) in Mayrhofen, Austria, following Snoop Dogg’s decision to cancel his European tour and, therefore, his headline slot at Snowbombing.

Dizzee Rascal joins Example, DJ Shadow, Fatboy Slim, Groove Armada, Zane Low, and many others at the festival, from 9–14 April. Dizzee is no stranger to the mountains, having performed at Snowbombing 2009 where he played Bonkers! for the first time live. The Mercury-prize-winning star will headline the Eristoff Forest Party on Friday night.

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Use Your iPhone Whilst Wearing Your Ski Gloves!

BEN CLATWORTHY

A new product has been developed aimed at helping skiers and boarders get round that very modern problem – how do you use your touch-screen handheld device when you’re wearing ski gloves? iPrints are adhesive strips that attach directly to the glove finger, enabling the wearer to use touch-sensitive devices as they would with their bare hands. They’re simple to fit, easy to use and work in a second.

“I used to find it really annoying when I wore gloves and had to keep taking them off to use my smartphone” said Phil Mundy, inventor of iPrints.

“I searched around for an answer to use a touchscreen without taking my gloves off, but only found expensive, touchscreenfriendly gloves. The options are even more limited when it comes to ski-gloves, with prices that reflect the lack of choice I wanted a cost-effective alternative that allowed me to use my smartphone while still wearing whichever gloves I wanted.” iPrints can be fitted to any pair of existing gloves, from everyday cotton or wool ones, to ski and motorbike gloves.

The product is available through the company’s website (www.iprints.org.uk) priced at £5 per pack.

Rugby With A Twist

Each year, to celebrate St Patrick’s Day (a bit early) and to honour their Anglo-Saxon friends, Peisey Vallandry offers visitors to the giant Paradiski area in France (paradiski.com) the chance to play rugby on the snow at altitude.

This year on Wednesday 14 March, thanks to the Fédération Française de Rugby (who has

officially approved the ”pitch”) and sponsors Peisey Vallandry Tourist Office, ADS, and the Départemental de Savoie de Rugby, visitors will be invited to participate at 2300m in this high adrenaline – and now high altitude – sport.

Of course, the rough and tumble of a good game of rugger takes on a whole new guise when it’s played by participants wearing ski boots, but oddly that doesn’t put people off, in fact, this event is always well-attended.

To enter you need to put together a team of seven people, and decide on a team name, before registering to participate at Peisey Vallandry Tourism Office (+33 (0)479 07 88 92) before 11am on 14 March. The day begins at 11am with matches from noon, lasting 4 minutes each, and the winner will be announced at 2pm.

Polartec Goes Extreme With Mammut There’s been a swathe of cool new outer jackets on the market, along with evermore hi-tech thermal underwear, but what we wear between the two has been a little neglected by comparison.

Step forward the new Polartec Thermal Pro with Hardface Technology, which is used in the Eiger Extreme range from Mammut (www. mammut.ch). The company modestly claims it “… provides an unsurpassed performance-to-weight ratio, superb durability and an aesthetically eye-catching range.”

Two garments of particular note in the range are the Eiswand Jacket Men (SRP £190) and the Schneefeld Jacket Women (SRP £190), whose key features include neat flatlockdesigned seams; thumb loops; taped pocket openings reinforced with Gorilla tape; covered chin protector; high collar (Eiswand) or hood (Schneefeld).

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The catered chalet on the edge of the Savoy piste in Chamonix, opposite the Brevent lift. www.chamchalet.co.uk www.chamonixskiout.com

Allergy-Free Ski Hotel Opens BEN CLATWORTHY

A new hotel in the South Tyrol has been designed and built in conjunction with a construction biologist, with the intention of focusing on sustainability and catering to sensitive, allergy-prone guests.

The 4 Hotel Tirler Alm (www.hotel-tirler. com) is a ski in/out hotel located 1750m above sea level in Alpe di Siusi/Seiser Alm – the ski area next to Val Gardena.

Run by the Rabanser family, the hotel is an

entirely pollen-free zone, and boasts a chef de cuisine who will rustle up dishes according to individual food allergies or intolerances.

Local materials were crucial in Tirler Alm’s construction, with Dolomite rock, larch and pine wood pervading, and modern elements such as heated clay walls combining convenience with a local touch in every room.

Skiers and boarders will benefit from Tirler Alm’s location, connecting right onto Dolomiti Superski, with its 1200km of slopes.

New Gondola For Vail Next Winter

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World Snow Day In Scotland As part of an international celebration of snow, CairnGorm Mountain (www. cairngormmountain.org) celebrated World Snow Day at the end of last month, by introducing 50 first-timers to skiing and snowboarding free-of-charge as part of a competition to mark the event.

World Snow Day was designated by the International Ski Federation, with ski resorts all round the world encouraged to participate and, in particular, to find ways of getting newcomers onto skis or boards for the first time.

The winners, whose ages ranged from 8 to 58, came to the resort near Aviemore

ZAINI

“I have been skiing for 35 years, competitively for 18 years and 10 years as a member of the British Alpine Ski Team.

I retired from competitive skiing after rupturing my cruciate ligament.

Following 9 knee operations I had been skiing with knee pain for the last few years, but now I have discovered the ski~mojo.

Quite simply this is the product many people have dreamt of; using the ski~mojo enables me enjoy skiing the whole mountain pain free.”

Vail Mountain (www.vail.com) in Colorado, the largest ski resort in the US, has already begun making plans for its 50th anniversary in December, with the announcement of a new, state-of-the art

gondola to replace the Vista Bahn Express Lift (#16) in Vail Village. If all goes to plan the gondola will be installed this summer, and be operational for opening day of the 2012–13 ski season.

The new gondola will be in the same location as the existing lift, a high-speed quad lift that was installed in 1985, and will reach the same location at Mid-Vail. It will have the number “1” to commemorate Vail’s original gondola in that location, will provide a 40% improvement in uphill capacity, compared with the existing Vista Bahn Express Lift (#16) – the highest of any gondola in North America – and will offer new features, such as free Wi-Fi access for guests.

from all over Scotland to get their first taste of snow sports, under the experienced tuition of instructors from The Ski and Snowboard School.

Among the youngest winners were brothers Finlay (8) and Struan (11) Morrison from Inverness.

Their instructor, Martin Amos, commented that the boys were learning quickly, and their mother was impressed by the progress they made in one lesson. This view was reflected by many other participants who said they loved it and wanted to come back.

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Jack Harvard Taylor BEN CLATWORTHY

InTheSnow’s Ben Clatworthy spent 10 minutes with Jack Harvard Taylor, the first British male athlete spending a whole season on the International Ski Federation (FIS) Telemark World Cup circuit.

Jack, 3 months into the season, how are things going and what’s the big news so far?

JHT> After a busy pre-season in SaasFee, I am really excited to be competing for my third season on the FIS Telemark World Cup circuit. Kicking-off the season with the British Championships in Rauris, Austria, I finished as British Champion after a tightly fought battle.

Congratulations! Does the new title affect your plans for the rest of the season, and what’s in the schedule for the next few months?

JHT> Finishing on top has given me a huge amount of confidence, as we

now enter into the World Cup season.

Unfortunately, the first World Cup race in Rauris, following on from the British Championships, was cancelled due to the huge amount of wet snow that fell overnight. The team is currently now in Slovenia, where we will compete in two Telemark Sprint races, which include a Giant Slalom (GS) race with a jump and a Nordic skating section. Following on from this, I will make my way over to Norway for the first Telemark Parallel Sprint to be included at a World Cup. This new event is very exciting for the telemark racing community, and this will hopefully bring more interest to our sport, with the aim of its inclusion into the Winter Olympic Games.

You say you are the first British male athlete to spend a whole season on the Telemark World Cup circuit, how have you found life as a “professional” athlete so far?

JHT> So far everything is going exceptionally well. The telemark circuit is a very friendly place to be, with everyone

helping out. Because the British Telemark Ski Team does not receive any funding or support it is hugely disadvantaged against other national teams, but I am personally very grateful to my sponsors, including Kneissl UK, for supplying me with race skis for the season.

How can we find out more information about telemark racing?

JHT> There is a whole host of information on the British Telemark Ski Team website, www.gbtelemark.co.uk.

Also have a look at my blog, www. jackharvardtaylor.co.uk, for an insight into the Telemark World Cup circuit.

Telemark skiing isn’t massively popular with UK skiers, what would you say makes a good telemarker?

JHT> Many top telemarkers start off as alpine skiers. Having basic alpine skills, such as balance, coordination and timing are all apparent in good telemarkers.

How did you end up competing as a telemark racer?

JHT> Having spent a season working in Verbier, Switzerland, teaching alpine skiing, I was looking for the next challenge and telemark sprang to mind. After buying some second-hand kit, I went out every afternoon after taking lessons in the morning. It was not long before I was arcing clean GS turns. The rest is history!

Europe To Take On North America In South America Following the success last year of the first edition of the Swatch Skiers Cup (www.swatchskierscup.com), where team Europe defeated team Americas 14–10, the contest will be back in Valle Nevado (Chile) from 1–9 September 2012.

The second edition will see again the world's top male freeskiers going headto-head in both big mountain freeride

and backcountry slopestyle, offering spectators in resort and online the perfect mix of natural hits, cliffs and powder landings.

The teams will be captained by legendary freeskiers Mark Abma (team Americas) and Sverre Liliequist (team Europe). Individually selected riders will be unveiled throughout the winter season,

and the two teams of eight riders will be completed by the end of March.

One person from the public will also get the chance to win a money-can't-buy-trip to Chile to cover the event as a Social Media Reporter and experience the true Swatch Skiers Cup spirit. To identify the right candidate, a blogging contest will be launched mid-February.

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SNOWPULSE

Airbag Technology For Ski Racing Moves A Step Closer To Reality

Patrick Thorne

The International Ski Federation (FIS) and motor racing manufacturer Dainese have presented the initial results of the D-air Ski project, the aim of which is to investigate

the potential application of airbag technology to top-level alpine skiing.

The current project seeks to improve the protection of athletes by applying D-air technologies (the airbag designed around the human body).

The project is currently in the data

collection phase, which involves 16 World Cup athletes, including Aksel Lund Svindal from Norway, and incorporates 12 inertial platforms (sets of sensors fully integrated into the back guard).

“Research is well under way since

last season, seeking to define the exact point at which the racer is no longer in control and a fall becomes inevitable. Since this is such a complex matter, whilst much data has already been gathered, further information is still needed” said Günther Hujara, FIS Chief Race Director for the men’s alpine skiing.

The D-air Ski covers shoulders, collarbone and back (the chest will be considered in the next development step), and limits the movement of the neck during a fall.

The special bag opens in about 50ms. The 2012 program will involve continuation of data collection as well as further tests with the athletes for the fine-tuning of the pneumatic part, with the aim of having a prototype for use on the slopes by the end of the year. Next year will be dedicated to fine-tuning the final prototype for Sochi 2014.

17% Of Brits Hit The Slopes After Learning On Computer Games

Resorts around Calgary in Alberta, Canada, celebrated ”warm weather” in January, as temperatures rose to +2°C. Temperatures in the region had dipped to an unusually low -35°C in mid-January as Arctic weather took hold, resulting in big snowfalls, but also lift closures and other practical problems due to the ultra-low temperatures.

Lake Louise and Marmot Basin were among resorts that had to close some lifts as an operational precaution, but both are now back to full operation with great snow conditions.

Main image photographer: Ben Burnett© Athlete: Ally Watson.

A survey, carried out on behalf of Santander Bank, has found that a worrying percentage of British skiers and snowboarders are skiing or boarding drunk, too fast, without taking lessons from professionals, and without proper travel insurance cover. Of those questioned who had been skiing or snowboarding in the past 5 years, 17% had skied while still under the influence of alcohol from lunchtime drinking, and the same number had hit the slopes for the first time having only practised on a games console.

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“Pristine powder or corduroy groomers; cliff drops or terrain park air; whatever your pleasure, it’s yours for a day” said a statement on behalf of the resort.

The exclusive-use offer is only available on the days when the mountain is closed to the public – Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.

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Chemmy Alcott has become Brand Ambassador for Mizuno (www.mizuno.co.uk) performance underwear.

The UK’s current most successful ski racer who has represented her country in three Winter Olympic Games, six FIS World Championships, and is a seventime overall senior British national champion, is currently fighting to regain race fitness more than a year after breaking her leg at Lake Louise in the World Cup downhill race in late 2010. Alcott aims to represent Britain again for a fourth Olympics at Sochi in 2014.

Mizuno sees Alcott’s first-hand experience of the severity of cold weather injuries as a good match for their products, which are packed full of technology and designed to accommodate the everyday demands of outdoor

sport and activity. Mizuno’s fabric technologies include Dynamic Plus to reduce the stress and friction of movement, Thermal Plus to maintain body heat, and Protect Plus to keep the inside of the garment dry.

“As a professional skier we try to tick every box regarding what we’re wearing. You would not believe how much technology is involved” said Alcott. “Mizuno are renowned for their ground-breaking technical innovations and their undergarments are products that I really believe in. Anything that keeps my muscles warm and prevents even an inkling of injury going into what I do is really important.”

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Luxury Ski Short Breaks Launched

Specialist ski company VIP SKI (www.vipchalets.com; 0844 557 3119), which operates

a large collection of ski chalets in Alpe d’Huez, Méribel, Val d’Isère, La Plagne, Les Gets, Morzine, Zermatt and Verbier, is offering flexible short ski breaks for the first time in response “to eager customer requests for 3 or 4 day holidays,” a spokesperson said.

Every Thursday lunchtime, VIP SKI will publicise online a collection of rooms and chalets available for the following week on a short break basis. Prices are from £149pppn for the usual VIP SKI fully catered product, staying a minimum of three nights.

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St Moritz Cable Car Re-Opens This Month The Diavolezza cable car above St Moritz re-opened on 11 February, after an unusual closure during the first few months of the ski season.

Extensive modernisation work has taken place on the lift, at a cost of CHF4.5m over the past 3 months, to add more comfort for passengers and cutting-edge technology.

“We intend to establish ourselves as one of the best ski regions in the world, and have therefore opted for the best technology currently available on the market” said Dieter Bogner, Head of Marketing at Bergbahnen Engadin St Moritz.

The new cabin of the Diavolezza cable car stands out as a result of its futuristic appearance, with windows that extend right down to the cabin floor, which enable passengers to better enjoy the magnificent panoramic views. In addition a revolutionary new loading concept, with three electric sliding doors, makes it easier and more efficient for the maximum 107 passengers to board and alight from the cabins.

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BEN CLATWORTHY

Feel The Love On Indoor Snow

From the 10–19 February, SnowWorld Landgraaf in The Netherlands, the world’s largest indoor snow centre by slope area, is offering a special Valentine’s package for two (of course!). €69.50 buys two 2-hour lift tickets, a welcome ”love” cocktail, and a cheese, meat or fish fondue for two.

Alternatively you can make a night of it (assuming things go well) with the overnight Valentine’s package, which includes a one-night stay at SnowWorld’s on-site 4 hotel together with breakfast the morning after, and the skiing, cocktail and fondue as above. Priced at €79.50pp (based on two sharing).

Natural Outdoor Ice Rink A new natural outdoor ice rink, reminiscent of the early 1900s when visitors skated in front of the Hotel Couronne, has opened in the resort of Argentière in the Chamonix Valley.

The rink, located at the north end of the village, is open every evening from 4–7pm, and on Wednesdays until 10pm, and is free of charge to all, with skate hire available.

“Music, atmosphere, superb views and a friendly welcome awaits you” promises the local tourist office.

Contemporary ”St Christopher”

T H E L I F E, S I N C E 1 8 8 8 Pierre Vaultier - 2010 Snowboard Cross World Champion

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Skiers and boarders looking for a little spiritual protection on the slopes, or when travelling, should look at a range of innovative gifts for adventurers from Scarlett Jewellery (www.scarlettjewellery.com).

An example is their St Christopher Traveller Charm (£55); a unisex charm made from hallmarked sterling silver, which features four engraved symbols, and a fifth side that can be personalised with initials or maybe a favourite ski resort. It has been designed to fit onto the drawstring inside your backpack. Other items include a passport charm and travel safe mojos.

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New Quad At Gulmarg Could Be The World’s Highest Winter X Games In Tignes

New Crystal Finest Brochure

The Crystal Finest preview brochure for winter 2012–13 is out, with the latest collection of bespoke chalets, first-class hotels, and stylish apartments, in many of the best ski destinations in Europe, North America and Japan (www. crystalski.co.uk/finest).

Early deals include 2-for-1 ski/ board hire or ski carriage if booked before 31 March, and 25% off childcare if booked before 31 May in some cases.

Questions Over Chairlift Safety Questions have been raised over the safety of chairlifts after a 19-year-old University of Utah student fell from a chairlift at a Park City ski resort and died.

The woman was on the lift at the Canyons Resort with friends on 31 January when she fell about 30 feet. At the time of going to print it is not known whether the safety bar was down when the accident happened. In France, some ski resorts are investing in bars that lock down.

BEN CLATWORTHY

A new quad chair that has opened at Gulmarg in India may be the world’s highest yet. But that’s not

the important thing for visitors to the world’s highest ”proper” ski area who will be more interested in how the new POMA-built lift makes getting around the slopes easier,

especially for less advanced skiers who can dismount at a mid-station at the top of the gentle slopes.

Gulmarg is often said to operate the world’s highest gondola, and to

Snow Dragons Guard Ischgl

A Welsh Dragon is standing guard on the slopes of the top Austrian ski resort of Ischgl (www.ischgl.com), one of a mighty group of dragons currently creating a stunning spectacle at this resort in the Silvretta mountains of the Tirol.

None of these fearsome monsters will be breathing fire or frightening the visitors, as they are all expertly sculpted

creations carved out of mounds of snow, forming part of Ischgl's annual Shapes In White exhibition.

Ten teams of sculptors from all over Europe have worked on this year's theme of dragons, to conjure up majestic creations. Huge 4m piles of snow were provided to each team, courtesy of the resort’s piste-grooming machines, which was easy thanks to January’s exceptional snowfall. Teams then had 4 days to transform their initial sketches into the final magnificent exhibits.

The Welsh Dragon was the creation of German sculptors Dieter Faust and his girlfriend Birgit TögelEmrich, who live in London, and were inspired by the red dragon on the Welsh national flag.

Other mythical monsters included the Tirolean Ice Dragon, a Baby Dragon, a Dragon Ship and a House Dragon.

The sculptors worked at different points all over the slopes, so the result is an open-air snow art gallery, which skiers and boarders can enjoy until the exhibits melt in the spring, at the end of Ischgl's 5 month long season.

Ski Fit Camp On Indoor Snow Indoor snow centre Chill Factore in Manchester (www. chillfactore.com) has launched Ski Fit Camps on three evenings each week, aimed at getting the most out of the various muscle groups used when skiing.

Aimed at providing the perfect pre-ski training regime to get your body ready for your trip, instructor, Chris Clarke, helps skiers build their strength, with a series of ski-specific exercises, improving fitness and performance on the slopes.

The circuit-style classes start with the fundamentals of human movement, and then follow a progressive structure, adapted to each individual guest, to help focus their body for the sport.

Taking place at 7.15pm every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, the 1-hour sessions cost £8 each or £40 for a block of six sessions.

First Winter Youth Olympics Bring Success The British Olympic Association sent 24 young athletes from ten winter Olympic disciplines to compete for Team GB at the first winter Youth Olympic Games (YOG). The Games took place in Innsbruck, Austria, last month and was a great success. It was the third Olympics to be hosted by the capital of the Tirol, making it the first city to host three Olympics.

Team GB’s athletes, aged 14–18 years, competed alongside over 1000 of the best young winter sport athletes from around the world, in all seven sports on the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games programme.

Team GB won a gold and two silver medals at the Olympics. On the last day of competition, Mica McNeill and Jazmin Sawyers won silver in the twoperson bobsleigh, on the same track that witnessed Olympic gold for Team GB's Robin Dixon and Anthony Nash in 1964.

On Saturday Jack Burrows won gold, and Aydin Djemal silver in the short track speed skating 3000m mixed nation team relay.

CREDIT: Tom Mallion

Europe’s version of the Winter X Games is back in Tignes for the third successive year (www. winterxgameseurope.com).

From the 14–16 March, 150 of the world’s best freestylers will descend on the famous French resort, along with thousands of fans, to compete in eight disciplines.

New for 2012 will be the half pipe and slope style ski and snowboard competitions, prior to their debut at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia.

be the world’s highest ski area, but in fact there are two higher gondolas operating in China, one serving a rudimentary ski area.

The chairlift may, however, be the highest quad chairlift so far, depending on exactly where its top point is. It’s not yet known whether or not it is in fact higher than the current confirmed highest quad chairlift, the Imperial Express Superchair at Breckenridge, Colorado, USA, which has a top station at 3914m.

What we do know, according to official sources, is that the new chairlift is 1601m long, rises 499m from a point close to the gondola’s mid-station, and takes 11 minutes to make the ascent travelling at 2.5m/s, which seems rather slow for a detachable lift, but perhaps that because it is designed to withstand earthquakes and highvelocity winds. www.gulmarg.org

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Looking For Great Ski Accomodation

Heavy Snowfall USA DAVID BLACK

California had a remarkably poor start to the season given its record-breaking winter and spring last year, which saw about a dozen ski areas still open on US Independence Day, July 4, because there’d been so much snow.

Skiing continued until the start of this winter

2011–12 season in November, but then there was almost no new fresh snow for 2 months.

Fortunately, this changed in the last week of January when up to 1.8m of snow was reported falling in 3 days on the slopes of Lake Tahoe.

Hopefully it’s a return to normal now, but it’s hard to imagine a dozen ski areas will be open for Independence Day 2012.

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With over a million Brits planning a winter sports holiday this season, ABTA has launched a new campaign to encourage travellers to ”Get Fit for Ski”, providing health and safety advice, and recommended warm-up exercises (www. abta.com/getfitforski).

To coincide with this campaign, ABTA, in partnership with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and the Ski Club of Great Britain, has also developed a winter sports checklist with advice and tips for skiers.

“Skiing is a holiday but also a sport so it’s always a good idea to prepare on the run up to the season in preparation – we advise you start at least eight weeks prior to your holiday” said Vicky Norman, PR Manager, Ski Club Great Britain.

“It’s not unusual to be out on the slopes for 4–6 hours at a time, yet many people go straight into a ski or snowboarding holiday without doing any training or preparation first. Preparing before you go can help prevent

injury and ensure you don’t miss out on the fun” said Nikki White, Head of Destinations and Sustainability, ABTA. ABTA research shows that only 41% of holidaymakers check their travel insurance covers activities such as skiing before participating in them suggesting that holidaymakers are putting themselves at risk of expensive medical costs, for example, it could cost up to £40,000 to be treated for a fractured leg in the US.

★★★★

Les Arcs Peisey-Vallandry L’Orée des Neiges

New Goggles To Display More Live Data

As we move further into what was once considered to be a futuristic sci-fi age, Recon Instruments (www. reconinstruments.com) has announced it will be launching

software designed for the new GPS-enabled goggles available from Snow+Rock and other quality suppliers. This will enable evermore data to become readily accessible, such as speed,

vertical, the wearer’s heart rate, and many other live stats.

The Android-powered Micro Optics Display (MOD) Live ”near eye device” provides skiers and riders with a variety of instant information.

“The Polar app is the first app created using the SDK (software development kit) for MOD Live” said Darcy Hughes, Chief Marketing Officer for Recon Instruments. “The app transforms our display into a biometric reader that delivers an athlete’s heart rate in real time while they ski or snowboard.”

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DIARY OF A PRO Ellie Koyander

Ruka, Finland for the World Cup opener. Next stop, Geneva, Switzerland. World Cup competition in Méribel, France, secured 19th place, yay!

Flight back to USA, two transfer flights, 5-hour coach trip, 10.00pm arrive at Steamboat, Colorado. Four days training – done. Now, en-route to Quebec for World Cup in 6 days – the relentless competition season is here!

Although I am continuously following the snow throughout the ski season, none of us on the World Cup tour actually get to ski that much! Even at the competition venue, training is

the summer. The challenge is always to keep the fitness levels up throughout the ski season – not easy when you have just flown into Sweden from Japan, and face the choice of ”do I curl up in bed and sleep for a week?” or “do I go to the gym and push some weights?”. There isn’t time to properly acclimatise and recover from jetlag, instead you launch straight into training the very next morning, knowing that within a matter of days you’ll be back on a plane flying to the next continent, next race, next time zone!

For me I have a lot to be excited about this season, I know that I have worked so, so hard over the spring, summer and autumn, particularly on my physical strength and speed. And so it paid-off at the pre-Christmas World Cup comp in Méribel, where I skied a full 2 seconds faster than I have ever skied, which in moguls skiing is massive! One guiding rule that I live by is that hard work is always rewarded, and, although, I am still having to work equally hard to secure a commercial partner to join me on my journey to the 2014 Olympics in Sochi, Russia, I know that it’s only a matter of time!

I have a lot to be excited about, I have worked so, so hard usually regulated to just an hour or two per day, to preserve the course for the big ”event” (usually televised and, therefore, required to look pristine!).

World Cup actually entails globe-trotting to each competition – literally, ”around the world in 80 days”! Most of the time is spent on the move, waiting in departure lounges for long-haul connections, collecting bags, reporting missing skis, sorting out bus hire, finding race offices and hotels, packing and unpacking, picking up accreditation lift passes and competitor info packs, course inspections, discussing race tactics, technical meetings, doing video analyses, feedback with coaches, oh … and some skiing!

Pretty much all the progress that we make as athletes happens between April and December, and when the competition season arrives, well, you’ve got what you’ve got. It’s always amazing to see how ripped and toned everyone looks at the World Cup opener after working out over

Athlete Biography At the age of 18 Ellie made her Olympic debut at the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics in the women’s freestyle moguls event. She is a member of the British Freestyle Ski Team and GBR’s number one female moguls skier. Ellie is on the FIS World Cup circuit currently working towards the Sochi Olympics in 2014. Ellie rides for Team SnoKart.

Twitter @EllieKoyander Web: elliekoyander.com

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Western Canada Looks Set For Record Snowfall Season

BEN CLATWORTHY

As parts of North America still battle for good snow cover, some resorts in Alberta and British Columbia look set to break records for snowfall tallies by the end of their long season in May. With over 3 months left to go in the ski season, Marmot Basin near Jasper has already received over 3.7m of snowfall, which is 93% of its annual average. If the next 3 months

produce typical amounts of snowfall, Marmot Basin will exceed its all-time snowfall record of 5.3m set way back in 1965.

“There is very little snow on the ground in one of our closest big cities Edmonton and when some people get to the mountain they are really surprised at how much snow we have” said Brian Rode, Marmot’s VP of marketing. “Marmot’s base elevation is very high so the rain that has fallen at lower elevations this winter has been all snow at Marmot.”

New Festival To Rock Morzine New to Morzine, France, this season, Basscamp Festival is bringing together the world of snow sports and electronic music, for an Alpine party to rival all those that have gone before. Acts already on the line-up include The Correspondents, Thomas Gandey, Benny Page, DJ Switch and Marco del Horno, alongside many others. With 625km of piste, some of the most awesome snow parks, and some of the best music venues in the Alps, Morzine is the perfect location.

Eight hundred tickets are available for Morzine’s first 5-day music, ski and snowboard festival, and are selling fast. Accommodation packages including the 5-day Festival wristband are available from as little as €299. (www.basscamp-festival.com) The resort is just 1h 15min from Geneva airport; and to make life easier Ski-Lifts, the airport transfer company, is offering all festival goers a discount of 10% if booked through their website (www.ski-lifts.com/wp/

basscamp). They will also be offering transport around the resort, easing the walk to and from the pistes.

The Festival is set to build on the success of other winter resort events, such as The Brits and Snowbombing, which have gone from strength to strength in recent years. Unlike other Alpine festivals, Basscamp is not limited to a package from a tour operator, making it much more flexible for attendees, whilst also appealing to local residents, seasonnaires and workers in other ski resorts. Basscamp Festival takes place from 2–6 April.

Inghams Publish 2012–13 Brochure Inghams (www.inghams.co.uk) has unveiled their first edition 2012–13 ski programme, with eight new chalets and one chalet hotel taking their range up to 73 catered properties across Europe.

There are four new mountain lodge chalets in St Anton, and the new chalet hotel du Montet in Val d’Isère.

Among many new initiatives are new ski-inclusive packages,

which go further than other allinclusive packages to ensure all aspects of the ski holiday cost are covered. Available in selected resorts in Andorra and Austria, they include flights, transfers, catered accommodation, lift passes, boot hire and tuition.

Prices at the chalet hotel Elisabeth in Kuhtai, Austria, are from £699 per adult and £350 per child inclusive of 3 days tuition.

Imagine if going on a ski holiday were no more stressful than putting on a pair of slippers. That’s all there is to it at Secret Alps.

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BACK TO ST JOHANN

e t a L s r a e Y 60

Patrick Thorne

I had vainly thought that I was the first member of my family to develop a love of the mountains; acquired on my first school ski trip to the little-known Italian resort of Prato Nevoso more than three decades ago, in the late 1970s. Back then most British teens, if they were lucky, first made it on to the snow on school trips, after a few sessions on the local Dendix dry slope.

But then I remembered one of my older sisters had already been skiing, and my mother, longer ago still, way back in 1951, along with a couple of female school friends less than 2 years out of school, were among the first to embrace a new wave of post-WWII travel opportunities, taking a package tour to the ski resort of St Johann in Tirol, Austria, albeit in the summer when the ski slopes were green!

Before the war, during the very first pioneering phase of ski travel, most tourists were very well-heeled,

but my mother’s trip took place at the inception of the modern travel industry, when more affordable packages were becoming within the grasp of the masses.

Last month my mother turned 80, so my sisters and I thought it was about time we took her back to St Johann to see what had changed and what had remained the same – oh and do a little skiing perhaps.

On arrival in Salzburg we headed to St Johann’s Hotel Park, a friendly 4« perfectly positioned a few minutes walk from

both the main gondola and the resort centre. I had checked it out beforehand, and was feeling slight trepidation as it had a higher rating on TripAdvisor from user reviews than its official rating (4.5 stars), which is fairly unheard of. Even the negative reviews were from the kind of people who are fairly impossible to please, or have unrealistic expectations of an Austrian 4«.

As it was, the hotel did live up to expectations, particularly the handson owner-manager Mr Grander who

More Info Package Deal Stays in the Hotel Park (www.park.at) cost from £515 (reduced from £723) for departures on 3 March. This price includes flights from Gatwick (other UK departures available), half-board and transfers.

Crystal Ski (crystalski.co.uk; 0871 231 2256).

St Johann Regional Tourist Information www.kitzalps.cc

St Johann lift company www.bergbahnen-stjohann.at

For more information on the Tirol region www.visittirol.co.uk

not only took us on a torchlit evening walk around the resort, providing interesting nuggets of information about the resort’s past (the giant landmark church in the centre was due to it being a summer residence of the local bishop a few centuries ago) and present history (many of the resort’s buildings are heated by waste energy from a chipboard factory further up the valley, saving millions of litres of fuel oil from being burned, as well as money), but also served up pancakes in the hotel restaurant. The staff were all friendly, efficient and keen to help, so it soon became clear why the reviews were so good, and why many Brits return to the Hotel Park year after year.

St Johann was much bigger than my mother remembered; in fact it is now the main administrative centre for the region and has recently overtaken neighbouring Kitzbühel, with which it shares the giant Kitzbüheler Alpen ski region, with access to over

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er...

1000km of piste, in population numbers.

“But it’s still beautiful” she confirmed, with its attractively decorated chalets surrounding that impressive church square.

We weren’t intending to be doing much skiing as this was my mother’s birthday trip, but she did pronounce herself content to sit in one of the snug mountain huts, sipping hot chocolate and taking in the glorious views, while my sister and I managed a few 1000-vertical-metre-descents back down to the village. The sun was out, the sky blue, the wind dropped, and conditions were truly perfect after one of the resort’s biggest January snowfalls for decades.

Back on her original visit 60 years earlier, my mother stayed in the Gathof zum Dampfl just across from the church.

She recalled, along with the fact that all the men were still wearing lederhosen back then, that the food had seemed

marvellous, arriving as she did after a 24hour train journey from a Britain where rationing was still in place.

On our return to Gathof zum Dampfl for lunch, my mother said it was architecturally almost unchanged, as far as she could recall, and we all discovered the food – homemade on the premises – remains fantastic. We no longer have rationing in the UK, but the Austrians still know good food better than we do, on a day-to-day basis.

Our visit went by very quickly, but we managed to fit in a few more trips up the mountain, a nice sleigh ride, and some shopping in St Johann’s excellent range of traditional stores, of the kind we rarely find anymore in the UK. For example, we visited a shoe shop where they not only sold a great selection of shoes still made in Europe, but have their own shoe-making workshop in the store. And, of course,

there are plenty of café stops for Glühwein and strudel.

I don’t think we’ll leave it another 60 years until our next visit to beautiful St Johann.

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World Ski Championships Bormio is a regular stop on the FIS World Cup circuit, normally for the men’s downhill in late December. The resort has also hosted the FIS World Ski Championships twice, the first time in 1985, and then again 20 years later in 2005.

Resorts include: Samöens for Flaine, Les Gets for Avoriaz, Vaujany for Alpe d’Huez, Peisey for Les Arcs, St Martin de Belleville for Méribel & La Tania for Courchevel

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REASONS TO VISIT Bormio

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Benefiting from major regeneration and development ahead of the FIS World Ski Championships in 2005, the resort has a very modern infrastructure and a fantastic range of pistes to suit all abilities. The resort is one of my favourites in Italy, and with 31 lifts and 98km of runs there is plenty of skiing to be had. If you fancy a challenge make sure you give the ”Pista Stelvio” a go – it’s the men’s downhill run!

Village Atmosphere Bormio is an attractive old spa town, distinctly Italian, with lovely cobbled streets and small restaurants and cafes. The resort lacks many touristy attractions, but for those looking for an old-fashioned skiing holiday Bormio ticks all the boxes. Enjoy a candlelit dinner in a romantic restaurant, followed by a drink in a traditional Italian bar.

Pasta & Pizza Galore!

BY BEN CLATWORTHY

I know it’s obvious, being an Italian resort, but I’ve tasted some of the best pizza and pasta I’ve ever eaten in Bormio. The cuisine is also ideal for children, with a 1001 different varieties to satisfy everyone’s taste buds!

Night Skiing If you just can’t get enough time on the slopes, the resort offers night-time skiing every Thursday from 8–11pm. Enjoy the breathtaking descent from Bormio 2000 to the town, on slopes that are lit by ”daylight” bright floodlights. And for those looking for a more leisurely option, why not stop at one of the many bars or restaurants for a drink or bite to eat en route to the bottom?

PlayFactore Coming To ChillFactore

A new children's play facility at Manchester’s Chill Factore indoor snow centre should

prove an added attraction for families hitting the slopes.

The £2m Play Factore facility is to be built under Chill Factore's ski slope and will open this Easter.

Catering for children aged up to 12-yearsold, the new facility will feature a 16m-high climbing frame, the highest in the UK, and the country’s longest slide at 40m.

There will also be a laser tag arena, indoor football pitch and electric go-karts, and the centre will lay on fitness classes, discos, cookery and craft classes all aimed at kids.

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ski apartments, chalets & hotels in france Looking for ski accommodation in France? Lagrange offer ski apartments, chalets and hotels in over 80 resorts throughout the French Alps and Pyrenees.

Try Serre Chevalier from £102pp/wk.

Classical In The Snow BEN CLATWORTHY

Springtime is full of high-octane music events in the Alps, but if you fancy something a little more sophisticated, a good choice is Val d’Isère’s Classicaval festival, which runs from 13–15 March (www.festival-classicaval.com).

The event features internationallyacclaimed classical artists, and attracts music lovers from far and wide for a series of emotive and inspiring compositions in this stunning Alpine village.

The first opus of the Classicaval festival took place from 24–26 January under the

direction of David Lefèvre. The festival’s second opus and conclusion in March will see Elena Rozanova, one of the world’s greatest pianists and chamber music professor at the Frankfurt Hochschule for 5 years, perform as artistic director.

Highlights will include compositions from Johann Sebastian Bach and Franz Liszt, plus a special performance of “De Charlie Chaplin à Nino Rota”.

Performances take place at the beautiful baroque church of Saint Bernard de Menthon, built in 1664, which promises a really enchanting and memorable setting for the festival.

020 7371 6111 www.lagrange-holidays.co.uk ABTA No. V554X

Wycombe Summit Put Snowdome Plans On Hold Long-standing plans by the owners of the Tamworth Snowdome, which also owns Wycombe Summit (www.wycombesummit. co.uk) near London, appear to be suspended.

Wycombe Summit was one of the UK’s leading dry slopes until its buildings were damaged by fire in 2005. Subsequently, a plan to build a 120m-long indoor snow slope on the site, alongside the surviving dry slopes, was put forward, which led to 5 years in the planning process before the go-ahead was finally given, but in the past 2½ years there’s been no further statement on the project from Snowdome Ltd. It’s a similar picture to the SnOasis development (www.snoasis.co.uk) in Suffolk that fought a long-running battle before winning planning consent for its 415m slope, but has not updated its status for 3 years since.

However, on a positive note a number of other indoor snow centre projects in the UK, to add to the six established centres, are currently underway. Work is due to begin this year on the Weston Snowdome (westonsnowdome.com) in the Southwest of England, which is scheduled to open in 2013.

Penguins Fly Into Ski Dubai Twenty Gentoo and King penguins have flown nearly 8047km (by plane) to Ski Dubai to become a new attraction at the famed indoor snow centre.

The penguins have been imported from SeaWorld in San Diego, USA, where more than 500 chicks have been born over the past 30 years.

Ski Dubai has created a special home themed on the penguin’s native environment in the Antarctic. A daily ”penguin parade” has been promised, and visitors can sign up for the ”Peng-Friend” programme, which will allow them to “spend time directly interacting with the penguins on a one-to-one basis.”

“The penguins are being embraced into the Ski Dubai family. It’s very exciting and they will be looked after properly” said a Ski Dubai statement.

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Hot Igloos Offer Luxury Accommodation BEN CLATWORTHY

CREDIT: CLAIRE BURNET

Record Snowfall In France

January 2012 was a banner month for snowfall in the French Alps, particular at the big areas in the north with huge falls at many resorts – following on from already good conditions thanks to the big falls in mid- to late-December.

Sometimes these caused logistical problems, with resorts cut-off for periods and the avalanche danger has been high, but on the upside, with bases approaching 5m, it’s certainly looking good for the rest of winter 2012 and well into the spring.

The Chamonix Valley has seen some of the biggest falls of snow, and Claire Burnet who works for the tourist office sent this picture from her home after the latest metre fall (22 Jan).

Iglu Village (www.iglu-dorf.com), famed for creating amazing snow villages above top Swiss resorts (Davos-Klosters, Engelberg-Titlis, Gstaad, St Moritz and Zermatt), as well as on Germany’s Zugspitz and at GrandValira in Andorra, has added romantic igloo suites with hot tubs as a new option this winter.

Their new ”hot igloos” are, in fact, heated igloo-shaped tents, which allow you to stay on the mountain in a cosy furnished all-weather tent, with “winter grade insulation”. Luxuriously equipped with a wood-burning stove and double bed, they are directly connected to the igloo village. Transparent windows allow users to look up at the starry sky above. Currently available at EngelbergTitlis, St Moritz and Zermatt.

Amy Macdonald & Newton Faulkner To Star At Zermatt Unplugged Zermatt Unplugged, arguably the biggest festival of acoustic music in the Alps, is gearing up for its fifth incarnation, from 17–21 April, at the famed Swiss resort. Strong British interest will be generated by an appearance of Amy Macdonald, widely regarded as one of the most talented and successful female musicians of the last few years. At the age of only 22, she has already appeared on stages all around the world, following the success of her This is the Life and A Curious Thing albums. At this stage the Zermatt Unplugged line-up also includes Newton Faulkner, Clueso & Bernewitz Trio, Jonathan Jeremiah and Brooke Fraser.

Top international star, Chris de Burgh, will be returning to perform at the festival he helped launch back in 2007.

u o y l e t l s b “A remembered wish I’d ss” a p t f li ’ in p p li f y m

SKI & SNOWBOARD SCHOOL MOUNTAIN GUIDE OFFICE

ABSOLUTE

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CAT ERE

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D CHA LET

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YS MO RZIN

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ES 201 1-12

www.absolutelysnow.com ALSO FANTASTIC HOLIDAYS IN ANDORRA AND NORWAY

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07/12/2011 13:07

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Burton European Open Ready To Rock

Patrick Thorne

One of Europe’s biggest annual winter sports events, the 13th Burton European Open (opensnowboarding.com), will take place in Laax, Switzerland, for the

eighth year running between 25 February and 3 March.

The best snowboarders in the world – including Mark McMorris, Jamie Anderson and Kelly Clark – will return to the mountain Crap Soin Gion to share their moves

with amateur riders, and enjoy the best snow conditions in many years. In total, 400 men, women and juniors will show off their skills in different categories of half pipe and slopestyle, competing for prize money worth over £80,000.

The European Open is a unique opportunity for amateur snowboarders to achieve international attention, with the sport’s main players focused on Laax for the week.

Competitors and spectators alike can train at the recently opened Freestyle Academy, and enjoy Laax’s restaurants and bars, with an array of side events.

Equally, visitors can hit the slopes between watching events and try out one of the resort’s four snow parks, as well as Europe’s biggest half pipe. Friday 2 March will see the Riders Palace Lounge transformed into a space-themed party venue, and artists Trouble Andrew and Reptile Youth will give live performances at the Open’s finale on Saturday 3 March.

Become A Facebook Fan And Help Plant A Tree Until 22 March, Mont Sutton (www. montsutton.com) in Quebec, Canada, has said that it will plant a tree for every new person “Likes” the resort on Facebook.

The resort, famous for its tree skiing and award-winning environmental initiatives, launched its Facebook campaign called “1 Like = 1 Tree”, a few days ago on

www.facebook.com/montsutton.

“Besides being good for nature, trees are also a part of what makes skiing fun! Trees protect against the wind, help reduce soil erosion

and even help reduce the speed of the snow melt, ensuring a longer spring skiing season” explained Luc Boulanger, Operations Director at Mont Sutton.

Bring A Friend To Nassfeld

Austria’s Nassfeld ski resort (www. nassfeld.at) has a special “buy two, get one free” offer on lift passes and accommodation this spring.

The idea is that two people pay for two 2-day ski passes, along with three nights at their selected accommodation, and the ski pass as well as the accommodation for the third person is absolutely free of charge.

The package also includes a welcome drink at one of Nassfeld's ski huts. The ”Friendship Ticket” is available from 17–31 March and from 7–15 April.

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While ski areas have invested in modern lifts, the villages have stuck to traditional values, so hospitality, good food and high value remain unspoilt.

Patrick Thorne discovers the Aosta Valley located in North Western Italy, bordering France and Switzerland, and home to the highest peaks in the Alps www.aosta-valley.co.uk

Cervinia: Famed for its easy intermediate cruising, but with some great advanced slopes too - especially if you take advantage of the link to neighbouring Zermatt. But stay in Cervinia for prices up to 25% less (75% less for coffee. ED).

Champoluc: One of the best family resorts in the Alps, with plenty to keep more advanced skiers happy too and the wildly beautiful scenery of Monterosa all around.

Courmayeur: Stunning scenery on and off the slopes in the shadow of Mont Blanc (with fourteen 4000m+ peaks in total all around), this is one of the most stylish resorts in the Alps with a wonderful ancient heart to the village.

Gressoney: Simple and superb – some of the best skiing anywhere in the Alps with heli-skiing and extensive ski touring. You can ski on 180km of pistes locally, the highest lifts reaching almost 3000m opening up one of the world’s biggest verticals.

La Thuile: A convenient and affordable base for cross-border skiing to France, but stay on the Italian side for lunch (just as all the people based in France do!) for some of the best food at the lowest prices on the mountains.

Pila: Small but perfectly formed, Pila is home to Interski and the Aosta Race Academy along with a great local ski school. This is the place to come to hone your technique and there’s also a gondola link to the main town of Aosta with its impressive Roman buildings.

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LOW BUDGET ALL INCLUSIVE TRIPS TO THE FRENCH ALPS SOME GREAT OFFERS: Fantastic Easter deals – Flaine – Argentiére – Val d’Isère – Tignes – Chamonix

From

£460

Introduction to Ski Touring Argentiére; February and March

Win

Action Outd oors is Low Budget All-inclusiv e Ski and S nowboard Holidays to the French Alps: Accommod ation All Meals Evening En tertainmen t Ski/Snowb oard & Boo t Hire Lift Pass Instruction or Guiding Always inc luded in the price!

A Copy Of The New SSX Game To enter this competition to win a copy of the new game, answer the following question: EA Sports’ SSX has teamed up with InTheSnow for an awesome competition to give away 10 copies of the new SSX game, out on 2 March.

The latest iteration of the EA Sports franchise SSX returns packed full of reality-defying moments. Race, trick, and survive the world’s most iconic mountain ranges, based on realworld topographical data.

Q. The track It’s Tricky is synonymous with the SSX franchise, but who is it performed by?

A. Run-DMC B. Boyz II Men C. Dr. Dre Send your answer, name and address, and the gaming system you use (e.g. Xbox 360, PS3) to:

competition@inthesnow.com EA Sports’ SSX is released on 2 March. To see a trailer for SSX, or for more information on the game, go to www.ea.com/ssx.

Terms and conditions: 1. Competition is open to all ages. 2. No cash alternative. 3. Winners agree that EA Sports can conduct promotional

Experience the pleasure of ski touring Discover hidden valleys away from the pistes

£647

Spring snow at its best Les Deux Alpes; 31st March – 7th April Longer days and plenty of sunshine Lively resort with fantastic Après ski 12 hours instruction included

£509

Many more great value trips on: www.action-outdoors.co.uk

Weekly coach service from the UK to the French Alps The greenest, cheapest, easiest way to over 40 great French Ski resorts Free and reasonable luggage policy Free ski/snowboard carriage Increased leg room

WiFi on-board on selected vehicles Free on-board magazine Group discounts available

activity around winning story. 4. Competition is open to UK residents only.

5. Closing date 2 March 2012

Rudegirls Lite For Late March After the success of the 2012 rudegirls' snowboard week, organisers rudechalets (www.rudechalets.com) has decided to put together another package for those who missed out in January. "rudegirls Lite" will run from 25 March–1 April in Chalet Joseph, at a cost of £719pp per week, which includes return airport transfers from Geneva, en-suite accommodation, half board, unlimited wine, a 6-day Avoriaz lift pass, Burton snowboard and boot hire, three x 2 hours tuition with the lovely and incredibly patient

Tignes • Val d’Isère • Les Arcs Val Thorens • Meribel • 3 Valleys Chamonix • Flaine • Morzine... and many more!

www.snowexpress.co.uk – for full list of resorts and prices

Angel (who in the late 80s won the Women's Half Pipe and French World Cup!), and 2 days of mountain hosting.

Ticke t

s from

£45

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SNOW PLANNER MARCH 2012

11 11 13 16 14 25 25 26

MAR FEB

Fireworks Festival Courchevel

FEB FEB

Sfr Freeride Competition Tignes

FEB

Olympic Celebration Val d’Isère

FEB

Ski Touring Race Zermatt

23 25 24 28 24 28

FIS World Cup Crans-Montana

APRIL 2012

Please check event timings on company websites. Subject to change.

APR APR

Bass Festival Morzine

APR APR

The Brits Laax

Altitude Comedy Festival Mayrhofen

British National Ski Championships Méribel

APR

Winter X Games Tignes

Rock The Pistes Portes Du Soleil

3 Vallées Enduro Les 3 Vallées

APR APR

Classical Festival Val D’isere

02 06 03 06 09 14 21 17 21

Freeride World Tour Finals Verbier

World Speed Skiing Championships Verbier

APR APR

13 15 14 16 19 24

MAR MAR MAR MAR MAR MAR

MARCH 2012

MAR MAR MAR MAR MAR MAR

FEBRUARY 2012

FEB FEB

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

Zermatt Unplugged Zermatt

Full-On Spring In Serre Chevalier

© Surfanic International Ltd. 2011

The Serre Chevalier Vallée, which offers over 250km of snow-sure larch-lined slopes up to 2830m in the southern French Alps and 300 sunny days each year, has a busy spring schedule lined up.

Following the Rock on Snowboard Tour, which kicked off the season in

December, still to come this season is the Offenbach Festival, the Snowkite Masters Final and the Derby – all happening in March – followed by the ultimate Kid’s Snowboard Championships and the fantastic Roman Festival finale in April. With massive recent snowfall, the season is

set to last well into springtime, so there’s still plenty of time to join the fun.

Holidays through Erna Low (www. ernalow.co.uk), the self-drive ski specialist, include packages for £175pp for the week 24–31 March, based on four sharing a one-bedroom apartment for seven nights at Residence L’Alpaga.

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Snowshoe, Tube Or Sightsee Free On Banff Area Pass The Tri-Area ski pass or ”SkiBig3” ticket (www.skibig3.com), which allows users to access slopes at Canada’s largest ski destinations: Mount Norquay, Lake Louise ski area and Sunshine Village, has been extended this winter, with the option to try snowshoeing, tubing or a sightseeing tour, all included at no extra cost. This offers excellent value, with the added advantage that the winter season extends well into May. The ski bus service, which is also included in the Tri-Area pass, has also improved. The shuttle service now includes six new major stops outside hotels on Banff Avenue, in addition to the Fairmont Banff Springs, and the main downtown location behind the Mount Royal Hotel. The current hotel to resort direct service will continue in Lake Louise, with both services from Banff and Lake Louise taking visitors to any of the three ski hills. Prices for the pass start at £268 for adults.

Ski Ad_ITS_A4_final.pdf

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05/09/2011

23:27

BEN CLATWORTHY

Step Into The Void

Skis Have Improved in the Last Few Years Isn’t it About Time You Upgraded Yours?

At 3842m, the Aiguille du Midi summit station, part of the Mont Blanc massif, is destined to become, what the local tourist office describes as, the “highest museum in the world”, once this exceptional site has undergone its ambitious and futuristic renovation. The full details of this exciting project are yet to be revealed, but this winter, visitors with a very strong head for heights will be able to get their adrenalin rush by placing a foot on the new glass “Terrasse Aravis”, a projection suspended over an impressive void of several vertical kilometres!

New Quad Opens At Copper The gears have started turning on Copper in Colorado's brand new Union Creek high-speed quad. The new lift provides a speedy 6-minute ride to the top of Woodward at Copper Central Park, and to several new beginner trails on the western slopes of Copper Mountain (www. coppercolorado.com). It replaces the Highpoint lift, which had faithfully served Copper since 1976, and the resort says that its increased rider capacity and speed will enhance the experience for skiers and riders of all ability levels.

New Pool & Spa For La Plagne

The most comprehensive range of skis and boots in the UK. Custom boot fitting specialists.

RACE | RECREATIONAL | FREERIDE | FREESTYLE 45 Years of advice and expertise with a reputation that’s stood the test of time!

Helping you ski better everyday!

Ski Bartlett, Uxbridge Road, Hillingdon, West London, UB10 0NP | T: 020 8848 0040 | E: info@skibartlett.com www.SkiBartlett.com

La Plagne (www.la-plagne.com), in the Paradiski region of France, has opened a new swimming pool and spa complex, Espace Paradisio, at its Montchavin-Les Coches resort village.

Winner of the Famille Plus award, this year-round facility offers a wide selection of activities and relaxation facilities for the whole family to enjoy, all with a great view of the slopes.

The indoor winter facilities are spread over 340m2 and include a 70m2 pool, a cold plunge pool, Turkish baths, a sauna, a Jacuzzi, infrared treatment rooms, and a play area for children.

Aquafitness and aquabiking fitness classes are available.

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ALL IMAGES: Nick Thomas

www.inthesnow.com

Jon (AKA WESTY) AT ALTITUDE

Jon is one of the few instructors in the world to hold the top qualifications from France, Switzerland and Britain. He can teach on- and off-piste skiing throughout the Alps, and as Ski School Director, Jon helps manage the ski and snowboard school, the instructor training Gap programs, the Verbier freeride camps, and also the winter and summer kids camps. www.altitude-verbier.com; +41 277 716006

MASTERING THE MOGULS

CHOICE OF LINE

LOOK AHEAD

This month Jon examines some of the techniques, tactics and tips that will help you to master the moguls.

There are many lines that you can choose to ski in the bumps. You can ski in the valleys or troughs. This is the line water would take if you poured it down the slope. The other option is to take the rounder line turning on top of the bumps.

Both may be needed, and which line you choose will depend on the type of bumps.

Experiment with different lines!

If you are not looking ahead, then you are not going to be able to plan and choose a good line. Looking further down the slope will give you a better flow and rhythm, and help you to have “quick feet” – which is vital in the bumps.

Tip: Don’t look at the turn you are on or you will be too late for the next one!

Look two or three turns ahead.

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Over the following 4 issues we will tackle: Powder Skiing / Carving / Bumps / Instructor Training.

PIC

Let’s assume your kids have progressed and are now faster than you, here are some exercises and tasks to improve their skiing, and slow them down so you can keep up!

QUICK FEET Having the ability to move your feet quickly is a key skill. You will need to stay centred to enable your legs to turn.

Try to reach forward with your pole, plant to re-centre and to stop you from getting in the back seat.

Tip: Practice quick short turns on the piste to prepare for moving quickly when you get into the moguls.

BEND AND STRETCH As the terrain changes underneath, you will need to flex and extend your legs in order to keep your skis in contact with the snow and have a smoother ride! Allow your legs to bend on the upside of the bump as the bump “pushes” against you. Then on the backside, as the bump falls away, extend your legs and get the tips of your skis down to keep in contact with the snow.

Quick Turns: Set a distance, e.g. from you to a piste marker down the slope, and see how many turns they can do.

This improves their rhythm, coordination and agility.

Map Reading: Give them a piste map and see if they can plan a route and then follow it on the slopes. Make sure the route is realistic for the time you have, and their (your) ability level.

Blind Skiing: Get them to close their eyes and you guide

them down the slope. Try to get them into a good rhythm and make sure they know their left from their right.

This improves their sense of feel (you’ve all seen Star Wars) and their awareness of skisnow contact.

Follow The Leader: Get them to lead you down a slope by taking the easiest/steepest/ flattest line. This improves their awareness of how the terrain affects their skiing.

Jumps: Look for small bumps on the piste and use them to take air. Make sure the landing is safe, and that there is nothing to crash into if they do lose control.

This helps to improve coordination and agility.

Syncro-Skiing: Everybody has to turn at the same time, and the turn has to be the same size. One person needs to shout out the rhythm. This can be done side-by-side or with one behind the other.

This develops coordination and versatility.

Pole Hold: Hold a pole between you, and ski down side-by-side. Make sure you keep your arms straight out to the side, so that there is the maximum amount of space between you, and someone needs to take charge of when you are going to turn.

These are just a few ideas that should help your kids (and you) improve and have fun on the slopes.

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This month’s choice from Ellis Brigham (www.ellis-brigham.com) is a powder special, in celebration of the fabulous powder dumps both in the Alps and in Steamboat Colorado – the resort where Ellis Brigham shoot their mailorder catalogues.

MENS

MENS

MENS

Norrøna Lyngen Down 750 Jacket £259.99

Scott Traverse Gloves £59.99

Barts Crunch Beanie £19.99

Hotronic E4 Footwarmer Power+ Pack £145

Super-tech performance glove with a

The bobble hat has seen a big

Boots covered in light, soft snow can

Norrøna’s inspiration is driven by the

great fit. The outer fabric is tough, with

resurgence this season, and this

be a cold experience, so don’t let

majestic landscapes of Norway, where

a built-in waterproof and breathable

chunky one from hat supremo Barts

chilly toes ruin a powder day. This

they’re used to extreme weather and

barrier. Low bulk Primaloft insulation,

will keep ears toasty and stop warmth

Pack includes everything you need to

plenty of pow! This super warm, super

and a Sherpa fleece lining on the back

escaping from your head. Seen here is

start warming your feet. For efficient

versatile down jacket packs a powerful

of the hand, keeps hands functioning

the dark heather version and there is

heat management, the E4 battery

performance punch. It’s featherlight

comfortably. The zipped pocket will

also a taupe colourway.

uses four NiMh cells, ideal for use in

and ultra compressible, using 750

hold a heat pack on intensely cold days

cold environments, and has four heat

down fill and low bulk Primaloft One.

or other stash.

settings, as well as easy to read LEDs.

Salomon Rocker2 £500

MENS

Powder, soft snow, pillows, filled-in trees, take the Rocker2 anywhere that you want maximum floatation and the most fun. Twin rocker at the tip and tail works with the 122mm waist to enable smooth pow turns. Weight can be issue on wide skis, so Salomon has focused on keeping the Rocker2 light; by using a honeycomb tip/tail and dropping the metal edges from these areas. The result is a lower swing weight for better spins, improved control in deep snow, and a less tiring ski to use.

33

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i

n

iation with c o s as

For more information visit www.ellis-brigham.com Ellis Brigham Mountain Sports has 23 shops nationwide; go online to request a free catalogue featuring the UK’s biggest range of mountain and snowsports clothing, equipment and accessories.

MENS

WOMENS

WOMENS

Norrøna Lofoten GTX Pro Pants £399.99

North Face Purrfect Mitt £49.99

Dragon DXS Powder £70

If you’re deep in powder, you don’t want

There’s something really comforting

conditions, but that’s never guaranteed.

Great colours, fantastic fabrics and

about a pair of mitts, and these are

Skiing fresh snow can often mean overcast

flattering fit – it’s no wonder The North

one of the warmest on the market

or low visibility. But what you find on the

Face ticks all the boxes on the slopes

with their Heatseeker insulation, and

mountain isn’t always what you expected

and brings style to the high street. The

waterproof and breathable barrier

when you left the ski room. The answer

Amore jacket is a triumph of cold weather

construction. A leather palm gives

to dealing with changing light conditions

performance and luxurious style. The hood

added reinforcement and durability.

is to use a goggle that comes with two

is removable, it has handwarmer, chest

waterproof leg zips, and three cargo

lenses. The DXS has an ionised lens for

and wrist pockets, plus inner pockets for all

pockets with waterproof zips. Also

bright conditions, and a rose-tinted lens

your essentials whilst on the move. What

available in yellow saffron/fields of gold.

for dull and low light.

more could a girl need?

snow going down your back. These cult backcountry pants have a high torso-protecting stretch bib, which can zipped onto your jacket or be taken off for the less deep stuff. They have super durable lower leg protection, full-length

If you’re lucky you’ll get bluebird

North Face Amore Down Jacket £219.99

WOMENS

Baron Marker £260

Go Go Pants £129.99 Our best-selling women’s ski pant – it really

Ideal for the alpine skier who does the occasional tour to access the very best conditions. Zero

does deliver a great fit to all shapes and

sacrifice in downhill performance, yet at the flick of a switch the walk function enables the heel

sizes, and comes in four different colours

to lift. Wide twin-connecting brackets ensure maximum power, and the short frame, and low,

(white, black, fuchsia pink and tan). It has a

neutral stand height, provides better balance. When all the lift-accessed pow is skied out, the

flattering boot-cut shape, easy-fit adjustable

Baron will still take you to the freshies.

waist, and low profile cargo pockets.

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The team at InTheSnow has put together a selection of this season’s hottest products on the market to wet your appetite for snow. Bright colours are in fashion once again so expect some garish sights on the slopes this season and make sure you look the part too!

Alpaca ski socks £18+

Snowmule Backpack £89 Bumbag £39.50

Skins S400 From £50

ZAINI RHUM £19.99

socks. As soft as cashmere and built to

Snowmule is a brand new concept

Designed to be worn as a thermal

'Rhum' is one of Zaini's newest designs

last, Alpaca fibre self-cleans so bacteria

designed to make skiing with children

base layer, SKINS S400 compression

for January 2012. All Zaini products are

can't cling on and make socks smelly.

easier, for the children as well as adults.

technology wraps the muscles in a

handmade and designed in Scotland

Warm, lightweight and made from 75%

The backpacks and bumbags have 2

second ‘skin’ and applies the correct levels

for the utmost care and quality. Our

luxury Alpaca and 25% nylon, these

self retracting handles built into them

of pressure to accelerate blood flow and

designs are bright, baggy and bring

machine-washable socks have a terry

to pull children on snow. When they’re

increase oxygen delivery to working

something new to the beanie market.

loop construction for all-round thickness

finished they just let go of the handles

muscles, improving power, stamina and

Check out our full range at www.zaini.

and comfort to banish blisters forever.

and ski off! The Snowmule backpack

aiding recovery. S400 garments have also

com. Use discount code 'inthesnow' for

Available in a range of hand-selected

will also carry 2 pairs of children’s skis, 3

been designed to help wrap and support

15% off any order. Get your Zaini while

colours from pillar box red to mulberry.

pairs of poles and much more.

specific muscle groups.

the snow lasts.....

www.perilla.co.uk

www.snowmule.com

www.skins.net

www.zaini.com

There's nothing boring about Alpaca

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Indoor Water Park Opens At Ski Resort Patrick Thorne

There’s an indoor water park coming to the Alps this summer at Avoriaz, France, but a huge facility has already opened this winter in Vermont, New England, USA. The $25m Pump House at Jay Peak (www.raisedjay.com/ pumphouse) has dramatically increased bookings at the ski area the resort says. There are watery attractions for every member of the family, but headlining are The Double Barrel, which lets two people surf a standing wave side-by-side, and a water slide named La Chute.

“La Chute will have you screaming at a pitch you weren’t sure you could hit” says the resort.

There’s also Big River stretching the full perimeter of the park, making it the longest indoor river in the USA.

Après-Ski Yoga

Brit Racer Beats World’s Best In Norway A 21-year-old British cross-country ski racer Andrew Musgrave came second in the 15km race at the Norwegian Ski Championships in Voss, Norway.

“It's great to get on the podium.

You do not need a medal in metal in order to know that you’ve done well” Musgrave told local media, referring to the fact that as a British citizen

his status meant he would not get a medal, despite coming second.

The high placing was particularly noteworthy, as the current superstar of world cross-country ski racing,

Petter Northug, the double Olympic champion who has won nine World Championship and Winter Olympic gold medals was 38 places behind in 40th – he’s been ill.

All skiers and snowboarders in Revelstoke, British Columbia, Canada, this winter are welcome to join the new “Long Johns Sessions” put on by Stoked Yoga, taking place weekly at The Sutton Place Hotel – Revelstoke Mountain Resort.

These yoga sessions are specifically tailored to the needs of skiers and snowboarders fresh from the hill.

Stretching, massaging, releasing, and relaxing are the focus, but the best part is long johns (a.k.a. thermals) are acceptable attire. Sessions cost CAN$16 and take place from 3.30– 4.15pm on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. Mats are provided.

Let us take you on an unforgettable ski & snowboard holiday in the French Alps.

We offer beautiful chalets in snow-sure resorts, delicious catering, and attentive staff to take care of every aspect of your holiday.

From indoor swimming pools and hot tubs right down to fluffy slippers, fine wines, and the latest skis from Salomon available for hire directly in-chalet, we really have thought of everything.

Give us a call at 01302 328 820 or visit www.skiolympic.co.uk to book online.

facebook.com/skiolympic

@skiolympic

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MONTHLY GUIDE TO ACCOMMODATION

HOTEL ALEX

Zermatt

4

The Hotel Alex is perfectly situated in the centre of Zermatt just off on a hidden back street but with the bustle of beautiful Zermatt right on your doorstep. The warm and friendly welcome here is simply hard to beat. Described as having an “extravagant mountain style”, each room has been designed in its own eclectic way, with surprises at every turn. The Alex is famous for a wonderful lounge-cocktail-bar with intimate corners forming an alpine world of art displays and designer fabrics.

www.clubchalets.co.uk Search ski chalet accommodation

+41 (0)27 9667070

info@hotelalexzermatt.com

www.hotelalexzermatt.com

CHALET 1066

CHALET BOWMORE

SNOW CHATEAUX

Les Gets

Chamonix

Les Arcs / Le Plagne / Tignes

With 12 Self Catered Chalets & Apartments and 1 Fully Catered Chalet all in Les Gets, Chalets1066 also offer services for self catered accommodation normally associated with a Catered Chalet, these include: ski pass delivery, ski/ boot fitting in the Chalet, fresh croissants, lifts to ski school, etc. Additionally, Chalets1066 fully Catered Chalet has highly experienced staff and assures clients of outstanding food.

Located in the upmarket area of Lez Praz, Bowmore is a masterpiece of modern architecture with stunning features throughout. Sleeping up to 8 guests in luxury, this chalet boasts an outdoor hot tub, cinema room and magnificent master bedroom encompassing the entire top floor. Ski Chamonix offers a bespoke service and the talented chef, host and resort drivers will ensure guests do not have to lift a finger!

'Voted one of the top 5 places to stay'

+44 (0)121 288 0586 sue@chalets1066.com www.chalets1066.com

+44 (0)207 401 1101 info@ski-chamonix.co.uk www.ski-chamonix.co.uk

0800 066 4996 info@snowchateax.co.uk www.snowchateaux.co.uk

lES CHALETS DE PHILIPPE

CHAM CHALET

CHALET CLARE

Chamonix

Chamonix Mont – Blanc

Les Crosets, Portes du Soleil

A cluster of eight chalets with spectacular views of Mont Blanc, located in a quiet corner of Lavancher.

Alpine Antique furniture mixed with contemporary features such as flat screen TVs and WIFI access throughout and spa services include hammam, hot tubs, sauna and massage. A chauffeur is also available as well as Michelin-starred food!

Catered chalet for upto 8 guests. Truly on the piste, opposite Brevent lift station. A panoramic setting, hot tub with view, but still close enough to walk to the centre of town (5 minutes). Excellent food & wine.

Wood burning stove. Owner managed.

Large newly built traditional swiss chalet situated in Les Crosets at 1750M, gateway to the Portes du Soliel ski area. Easy access to lifts. Usually able to ski, in ski out. Sleeps 8 in four en suite double rooms, seperate studio sleeps 2. Large open living area with wonderful views. Sauna/Steam room.

Garage for three cars. 2 hours from Geneva.

+ 33 (0)607 231 726 contact@chaletsphilippe.com www.chaletsphilippe.com

+44 (0)20 7193 0648 info@chamchalet.co.uk www.chamonixskiout.com

+44 (0)1258 820779 richard@markusproducts.co.uk www.chaletclare.com

5

The Daily Telegraph Charming ski in / ski out chalets with hot tubs, saunas & games rooms in 3 of the Worlds largest linked ski areas.

Special offers - free passes, massage and more

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MATTERHORN FOCUS

THE CAMBRIAN

5

Zermatt

5

SKI-BASe: chalet de la Cloche

4

Adelboden

Val d’Isère

Here you can enjoy privacy, outstanding design and a unique stay in 30 individual rooms. Situated in the most fantastic position with unrivalled views of the Matterhorn, the modern, elegant architecture blends in beautifully, elegantly and somewhat obtrusively but perfectly into the mountain around.

Stunning mountain views in every direction, The Cambrian offers the kind of location that desk huggers the world over spend their days dreaming about. Located in the leading resort of Adelboden in the Bernese Oberland, the hotel provides authentic local colour, cosmopolitan comfort and inspiring cuisine backed up by superb service.

Chalet de la Cloche is in the heart of Les Brevieres, Espace Killy, considered to be one of the greatest ski areas in the world.The Ski-Base team have created a wonderful chalet described by ‘Harpers Bazaar’ as a “haven of sensual indulgence”. It is one of Conde Naste Travellers top 10 chalets in the Alps.

+41 (0)27 966 24 24 info@matterhorn-focus.ch www.matterhorn-focus.ch

+41 (0)33 673 83 83 info@thecambrianadelboden.com www.thecambrianadelboden.com

+44 (0)20 3432 8446 info@ski-base.com www.ski-base.com

Vitalhotel & Mountain Residence

ALPINE ACTION

MOUNTAIN HEAVEN

Méribel & La Tania

Morzine

The four star Vitalhotel and adjacent mountain residence provide a choice of comfortable hotel or spacious self catering. Either way you have full hotel facilities and a door step shuttle to Obergurgl’s slopes, two minutes away.

Specialist in chalet holidays for 18 years, Alpine Action offers superior service, cuisine and wine, at their well-appointed chalets in central and piste locations in Meribel and La Tania. Several chalets have hot-tubs, spa baths or saunas; all have free Wifi, SKY/Freeview TV, and DVD. For a superior holiday in this wonderful location, choose Alpine Action.

Chamois D'Or is in a prime location just seconds away from the Nyon cable car & ski slopes. The chalet has an outside hot tub perfect for easing those aching muscles after a long hard days skiing. The chalet sleeps 12 in 6 ensuite bedrooms, there is an additional bunk bedroom with an en-suite shower sleeping a further 2. Each bedroom also has a south facing balcony & stunning views.

+43 (0)52 566 767 info@hotel-muehle.at www.hotel-muehle.at

+44 (0)1273 466535 sales@alpineaction.co.uk www.alpineaction.co.uk

+44 (0)151 625 1921 info@mountainheaven.co.uk www.mountainheaven.co.uk

Obergurgl

Chalet Cole Ridge

4

UNOFFICIAL

Grimentz

THE PENTHOUSE

4

UNOFFICIAL

4

UNOFFICIAL

THE CLUBHOUSE

La Rosière

Chamonix – Mont Blanc

Chalet Cole Ridge is a magnificent premium chalet located in a stunning position directly on the piste and overlooking the historic village of Grimentz in the Val D’Anniviers. Sleeping up to 10 people and with a south-facing sunken Jacuzzi with stunning views overlooking the mountains, this chalet is exceptional.

A stunning chalet in the Les Eucherts area of La Rosière at 1850m. The Penthouse is a large chalet set over two floors with stunning views down the valley from the beautiful lounge / dining room with six ensuite bedrooms, three are doubles and three twins.

The Clubhouse is a boutique chalet-hotel, bar and restaurant which sits inside a magnificent 1920s Art Deco mansion. The building has undergone major refurbishment to create seven ultra modern rooms with accommodation for up to 20 guests. The range of rooms (from the sumptuous Myla Suite to the comfortable bunk rooms) boast his-and-hers, teakdecked, power showers, Frette linen and fat duvets.

+44 (0)151 625 1921 info@mountainheaven.co.uk www.mountainheaven.co.uk

+44 (0)151 625 1921 info@mountainheaven.co.uk www.mountainheaven.co.uk

+33 (0)450 984 220 reception@clubhouse.fr www.clubhouse.fr

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Åre PATRICK THORNE

Åre in Sweden is the leading ski resort in Scandinavia, and hosted one of the world’s biggest ski events, the Alpine Skiing World Championships, in 2007. Åre has a direct flight route from the UK, with packages offered by Neilson Ski, and is becoming increasingly popular with Brits looking for a European ski alternative to the usual Alpine resorts.

So how should I pronounce Åre? ÅRE> “Oh-rey.”

I’ve heard that Scandinavia is cold and dark mid-winter, and food and drink very expensive? ÅRE> The reality is that the Gulf Stream helps to keep Swedish resorts at around the same temperature as those of the Alps. Although it can be dark 30 minutes earlier than the Alps in December and January, the lifts still operate through

to 3.30pm and there is extensive floodlighting for night skiing, which many feel defines the terrain more clearly than winter sunshine. By spring it’s actually lighter earlier and later here than in the Alps, but our snow is still good until May. Finally, in terms of cost, the Swedish Krona has devalued dramatically against major currencies – by around a third over recent years. So alcohol prices are in line with those of the Alps, and meals and lift tickets are generally cheaper.

Any new ideas this winter? ÅRE> This season, SkiStar Åre has come up with a world first, by creating an illuminated fairytale world on the slopes.

While the rest of the surroundings are in darkness, the ski slope is illuminated in different ways to tell a unique story about Swedish legendary creatures and ancient fables. From a distance, it looks like the mountain is shimmering in hundreds of different colours. Whilst night skiing used to only attract experienced skiers,

this project aims to entice families and beginners to Åre’s slopes to try it out.

Since hosting the World Championships I hear Åre is now a major World Cup venue? ÅRE> Yes, floodlights have been installed at our new National Alpine Arena, which was completed last season, making it the perfect spot for upcoming evening events like the Jon Olsson

How is the resort keeping up-to-date with new technology? ÅRE> Yes, we are at the forefront!

MySkiStar is a new social media development for this season, which entitles all SkiPass holders access to lots of extra services to make their skiing experience more fun, social and interesting. With MySkiStar, the SkiPass can be linked to a website or mobile phone, through which guests to Åre can

Guests to Åre can compare their skiing performance, challenge each other, and share their experiences on Facebook and Twitter....

Invitational, Vattenfall Alpine Challenge and the Alpine World Cup, which will take place in Åre in March. A World Cup Festival is being held in Jämtland to mark the World Cup Freestyle Moguls, and the Alpine World Cup is being held there over the same weekend, 9–10 March.

I’ve heard of personal trainers in the gym, but never on the ski slopes, what’s the story? ÅRE> Åre’s ski school has employed its very own personal trainer, who makes sure guests get the very most out of their skiing. The personal trainer offers skiers the chance to really improve on the slopes, whether they are experienced skiers who want to hone their skills, or beginners who want to get started quickly.

compare their skiing performance with that of their friends, challenge each other, and share their experiences on Facebook and Twitter. The service has a useful feature that makes it possible for users to see where friends and family members are in real time, and generate ski stats like ”vertical drops” and ”calories used” to make skiing more fun.

And what about new snow sports? ÅRE> SkiStar Experience, which already includes great options such as off-piste alpine ski touring and sauna skiing, is expanding its range of activities by adding snowkiting. This increasingly popular high-speed activity is fuelled by the wind, and offers the chance to fly over the snow on either skis or a snowboard behind a kite.